Search Results for: volunteers

Learning To Trust Your Children's Ministry Volunteers

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One key to children’s ministry leadership is learning to trust your volunteers. In this post, I want to give you some practical tips to make that happen. First I want to remind you why trusting your people matters. The following is true for Sunday School teachers, nursery workers, and even VBS directors. What Happens When You Really Trust Your People They feel empowered to fully use the creativity and ministry gifts that God has given them. They

Forum: What To Get Ministry Volunteers For Christmas?

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I recently sent out a special newsletter talking about gift ideas for Sunday School teachers and other children’s ministry workers. I want to get your ideas too. What gifts do you give out around your church? Leave a  comment below to share your thoughts.

What To Do When Your Volunteers Are Worn Out?

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Something begins to happen in our Wednesday night program every spring. Our volunteers start to get run down. Worse than that – I start to feel tired of the program too. I’m guessing this is typical for children’s ministry programs. The school year has its own rhythm and life cycle. Fall is constant energy. Kids are making new friends and catching up with each other after the summer break. Things settle down, and then Christmas adds to

Our Children's Ministry Volunteers Donated $42,900 In Time This Year!

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How much are your Children’s Ministry volunteers worth?Of course, they are beyond value. But, what if you could calculate the weekly budget needed to hire replacements? Here is a group exercise I developed for a College level Children’s Ministry class. I was the guest teacher on the topic of volunteers. I wanted to communicate to the students (current and future Children’s ministers) how essential volunteers are to every ministry. It was a training session designed to inform

Children’s Church Curriculum 2024

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Discover new Children’s Church Curriculum options for your Sunday School or Kids’ Church Ministry for all ages. The curriculum choices below are perfect for small church budgets and combined ages in their children’s ministry. Every easy-to-teach lesson plan includes coloring pages, children’s sermons, worksheets, Bible crafts, and discussion questions. Top Children’s Church Curriculum for 2024 Here are the most popular children’s ministry curricula, updated June 20, 2024. #1 –Friend Request: 4-Week Kids Ministry Curriculum “Friend Request: 4-Week

Announcing “Bible Beach Club,” an Exciting Summer Children’s Ministry Curriculum

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Introducing Bible Beach Club: A Summer Blessing for Your Children’s Ministry Hello everyone, Tony Kummer here from The Sunday School Store! I’m thrilled to share some exciting news with all of you who are dedicated to the spiritual growth and engagement of children in your ministry. We’ve just launched a brand new curriculum for the summer that I believe is going to be a wonderful addition to your children’s programs. It’s called “Bible Beach Club,” and it’s

52 Bible Memory Verses for Children

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Children need to learn God’s Word by heart! In a world that is filled with so much uncertainty, it is more important than ever for kids to memorize Bible verses. The Bible is a source of comfort and hope, and it can provide direction when life gets tough. By memorizing Bible verses, kids can have instant access to God’s word when they need it most. Additionally, memorizing Bible verses can help kids to develop a stronger relationship

“From Boom to Bust and Back Again: The Surprising Truth Behind Vacation Bible School’s Decline and Possible Resurrection!”

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Vacation Bible School (VBS) has witnessed a significant decline in popularity recently. This post examines the underlying reasons, the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on Christian publishers, and potential avenues for VBS’s revival. To revive VBS, we’ll need hard work, fresh ideas, and the ability to change with the times. Even though fewer people are involved now, VBS still has an important role in building community and teaching children about morality and spirituality. With the right plan, VBS can

The Current State of Decline in Children’s Ministry (Summer 2023)

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In these times of ongoing changes and adaptation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, our religious practices, especially the children’s ministry, haven’t been spared. It’s quite a challenge, but I truly believe in our collective strength and shared faith to find our way forward. Let’s take this opportunity to understand the impact this has had on our children’s ministry and explore solutions that will help us navigate this new landscape. Here is my latest research into children’s

Comparing Sunday School Curriculum Membership Websites

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There are several Sunday school membership websites with different subscription costs and inclusions. Here are the details from the search results: The inclusions of each subscription vary, but they generally offer access to a library of Sunday School lessons, crafts, and activities. Some subscriptions also include the ability to print materials and add team members. Citations:[1] https://www.kidssundayschool.com/help/membership[2] https://members-resource-room.com/membership-information-page/[3] https://www.sharefaith.com/blog/2012/08/pay-for-deal-church-website/[4] https://store.illustratedministry.com/products/mini-revolutions-subscription[5] https://superbookacademy.com/subscriptions/ Sunday School Planet is a subscription-based children’s ministry curriculum that includes Bible lessons, worship songs, and

NEW: Celebrating Mothers Sunday School Curriculum

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The Sunday School Store has recently released a new 4-week children’s ministry curriculum called “Celebrating Mothers” for Mother’s Day. This curriculum is designed to help children appreciate and honor the important role that mothers, grandmothers, and other nurturing women play in their lives. Download the 1st week as a free sample lesson. The “Celebrating Mothers” curriculum is based on the big idea that mothers are a blessing from God. The curriculum includes four lessons that explore this

The Best Children’s Ministry Podcasts

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If you are a Kids Ministry leader, you know how important it is to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and resources. One great way to do this is by listening to the top podcasts. There are many great podcasts out there that can help you learn more about leading kids ministry, and keep your teaching fresh. In this blog post, we will share our picks for the best podcasts for Kids Ministry leaders! As we planned

Have Faith! Children’s Sermon (Mark 5:21-43) Jesus Raises Jairus’ Daughter

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Faith can be a challenging concept to understand, but it’s important to discuss with young children. Students should be taught that solid faith does not rely on our own strength, but on what we put our faith in—a God who is powerful and capable of anything. This message uses a simple “blind bag” illustration to point out how faith involves belief without sight. The story element features acts of healing that Jesus did, reminding us that He

Children’s Message: Palm Sunday (Mark 11:1-11)

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Palm Sunday is a fun and triumphant church celebration, especially when it involves waving branches during service and having “mini parades” or songs. But what does it mean and celebrate? This message takes a look at the original events of Palm Sunday, with an emphasis on how Jesus had a different end goal and purpose than what the people wanted for Him. We recognize that He did not come to establish an earthly kingdom or to fulfill

Free to be Free…Embrace it!

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    It is quite a beautiful and blessed thing that we are able to enjoy freedom in Christ Jesus. But just what does this mean, and how do we take hold of it? It can be easy to forget or take for granted our sinful consequences and Heavenly redemption, but it’s important to consider daily the implications of the cross. This message offers some practical reminders for students of how we can live in and for

Train your Brain…Anything is Possible!

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    The book of Philippians has quite a multitude of amazing truth nuggets and important elements. This lesson focuses on a passage in chapter four that reminds us of the best ways to live our lives and maintain contentment. Lesson Objective and Observation: Students will experience various spots of the passage, responding to each with words, pictures, or actions. Students will discuss worries and thought thieves, and come up with methods of remaining thankful through all

Salvation Through Saliva… Jesus Heals a Blind Man and Refutes the Pharisees

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  Sometimes we all get too caught up in details…how we do things in church, specifics of what we are doing…and we lose sight of the reason and purpose of serving God. This lesson emphasizes that principle with a look at a miracle from Jesus’s life: the healing of a man born blind. Lesson focus: Jesus is our hope and salvation. Our lives should be focused on knowing that and serving the Lord, and we need to

Children’s Sermon: Satan’s Bait and Switch

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Purpose: Use this children’s sermon on the Fall to teach kids how sin is never as rewarding as it seems. Scripture: Genesis 3:1-6 Needed: a torn up or shredded dollar bill or a crumbled cookie (keep it hidden), a new dollar bill or cookie Children’s Sermon Tell students that you will give them a dollar or a cookie if they bark like a dog for five seconds. The first student who volunteers gets to do it. After

Children’s Sermon: Isaac Practices Peace

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Purpose: Use this children’s sermon on Isaac to teach kids how to live at peace with others. Scripture: Genesis 26:12-22 Needed: Three six-sided dice Children’s Sermon Call the students up front and ask for three volunteers from the congregation for a game of Bump. Have the volunteers line up in the center in front of you and the children. Give each of the three volunteers a die. If the first one rolls a 1 or 2, they

Children’s Sermon: Abram Takes Second Pick

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Purpose: Use this children’s sermon on generosity to teach kids how to put peace first. Scripture: Genesis 13:5-17 Needed: two gift boxes and a hidden prize (One gift box might have a quarter in it while the other has a cookie or other type of snack. The hidden prize could be a box of cookies or snacks.) Children’s Sermon Ask for two volunteers. When the volunteers come up, show them two gift boxes. Tell them that they

Lesson: Paul is Not a God and Tells Others to Believe in the Real God

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Use this children’s Sunday School lesson to teach kids that there is only one God. Needed: Bibles, empty bags or boxes with pictures of various gods taped on them, one blank bag or box with cookies or another prize inside Intro Game: What’s in Box #?  Before class, print out pictures of various gods and paste one picture onto each box or paper bag. Leave one box or bag blank but put a snack or other prize

Use It or Lose It – Parable of the Talents

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Use this children’s Sunday School lesson to teach kids the importance of using their talents for God. Needed: Bibles, optional: chalkboard or whiteboard or paper to brainstorm ideas Lesson Ask students, What are some things that you’re good at? (Suggestions could include anything from being good at sports to being a good artist to being a good friend. Write at least one thing down for each student.) If you were good at something, but you never did

Lesson: Jesus Breaks the Sabbath Rules

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Use this children’s Sunday School lesson to help students understand the need to do the best thing over the good thing. Needed: Bibles, cookies or other small prizes Intro Activity: Acting It Out Divide students into groups of three or four. Have each group decide on and act out one part of your church service. After each group, briefly discuss why your church includes that in its weekly worship. Point out that doing those actions are part

Lesson: The Philistines Defeat Israel, but God Defeats Dagon

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Use this children’s Sunday School lesson from the book of 1 Samuel to teach kids the power of the real God. Needed: Bibles, pictures of various gods pasted to boxes or paper bags and one bag with no picture but a snack or other prize inside Intro Game 1: What’s Under Box #?  Before class, print out pictures of various gods and paste one picture onto each box or paper bag. Leave one box or bag blank